TASK 1: CREATING A REPLICA MODEL

Re-creating one of Richard Sapper’s masterpieces was definitely a big first challenge. Not only the technical details of this perfectly engineered lamp but also the communication between us students led to some questions at the very beginning:

1. How can six strangers communicate their ideas effectively with each other?

2. How can we all combine our strengths and knowledge to complete the project?

3. How did Richard manage to balance the weight so perfectly and how can we replicate that?

THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

After analyzing the original lamp and taking the basic measurements of each element, we decided that every one of us should make a different component and in the end we would assemble everything together.

It was a good plan until we started combining the pieces. Somehow it was impossible to balance the weights properly and only by adding stones and rubbers as counter-weight made it possible to complete the challenge.

THE RESULT AND WHAT WE LEARNED

After finishing the project, we could answer the 3 questions from the beginning:

1. We have to use different mediums to communicate with each other, for example, drawing or prototyping

2. We should listen to each other carefully because every idea is a step forward for a good result.

3. The measurements are the key for a perfect reconstruction of the Tizio Lamp, altough we should have spent more time analyzing the proportions of the lamp

TASK 2: REDESIGN CHALLENGE

I had several ideas but in the end, I decided to transform the structure of the Tizio lamp into a multi-directional telescope. Instead of creating light, a telescope is collecting it. Also, the object is symbolizing new discoveries, something I experienced on my first day.

fist ideas

technical details

dimensions

my design

PLANNING AND BUILDING A PROTOTYPE

I first planned to adopt the “balance-trough-weights-mechanism” of the Tizio Lamp to my concept. While prototyping I discarded that idea because weights would have made my telescope look like a very heavy, I wanted simplicity instead. That was one of the key points of the development process as it changed my design completely and I had to figure out how I could create balance in a different way.

I started experimenting with a rope, a method that is used by many engineers to keep the dimensions of building components as small as possible. Therefore I want to use strings to distribute the weight of the telescope. I needed several attempts but in the end, I managed to balance the weight. The prototyping-process showed me that sometimes experimenting can be the best way to solve a problem.

dimensions of the head

dimensions of the “head”

base and arms

placement head

sketch vs. protoype

experimenting with the arms

experimenting with a string to balance the weight

prototype

finished prototype

analysis of the mistakes I made

PLANNING AND BUILDING THE MODEL

I realized that the material I was using was not ideal, also I made the with of the arm to thin. After analyzing the prototype, I started building the model. I corrected the dimensions to make the construction stronger and I also changed the shape of the head. I decided to use cardboard and cocktail sticks to keep the building process as simple as possible. The color coding tape indicates the different materials I want to use: red= steel, blue = concrete, yellow = wood.

base prototype vs. model

head

experimenting with color coding tape

adding the color coding tape

adding the rope

square vs. circle

rope fixture

fixing the rope

sketch vs. model

sketch and model

The result: 1:50 scale of a size-adjustable telescope

This project showed me the importance of teamwork, while I developed my own skill as a designer. My group often helped me out and their ideas inspired me a lot. Also, I realized that prototyping is one of the most important steps in a design process and can have a big influence on the result.